Koby the Troublesome Coach
by DonaldDouglasandToby6
Summary: The Fat Controller builds a new red coach called Koby, but he quickly causes trouble for Flora on his first run. He isn't any better on the Main Line, as he ends up in a chase with James.
1. Flora and the Troublesome Coach

There are many coaches on Thomas' Branch Line.

Henrietta, Old Slow Coach, Victoria, Annie and Clarabel are all coaches on the Ffarquhar Branch.

A coach's job is to pull passengers, but more and more passengers were coming to Thomas' line to see the sights.

However, not enough coaches were on the line for all the passengers, so plans to build a new coach were underway.

The Fat Controller had a plan for this.

One evening, he came to Ffarquhar Sheds.

"Engines, I have something important to say." he said, "Tomorrow a new coach will be sent here. His name is Koby, and he's currently being finished at the Sodor Steamworks."

The engines looked to each other.

"Oh, I hope he's green!" whistled Percy, "You barely see any green coaches."

"Coaches look good in blue," objected Thomas.

"I don't think it'll be brown." chuckled Toby.

The Fat Controller chuckled.

"Actually Thomas and Percy, you're both wrong. He's a red coach."

Thomas and Percy grumbled to themselves.

"Oh, don't look so down." said Toby earnestly, "I'm sure green and blue coaches will pop in from the sky."

The Fat Controller laughed and walked into his car.

"Good night, engines!" he called as he drove away.

"I hope this coach is nice," muttered Thomas.

The next morning, the Steamworks was buzzing with activity.

Victor puffed in with a flatbed full of paint drums.

He puffed alongside the red coach.

"Hello Koby," Victor offered, "The workmen are going to give you one more coat of paint before you go to Thomas' Branch Line."

Koby snorted.

"I don't need any more paint, stupid engine. What I need is a distinguished railway. Seriously, all I see is trees."

Victor was furious.

"I think you need out of this Steamworks." he huffed, "The manager will send an engine to collect you."

Koby was pleased; he didn't like the Steamworks anyway.

The red coach had been stuck in the Works for months, being built from scratch, even if he had the same design as the other red coaches on the North Western Railway.

Kevin drove up to Victor.

"Um, boss?" he whispered.

"What?"

"...is Koby going to be a problem?" asked Kevin worriedly.

"Maybe so, but if that's true, the Fat Controller will deal with him." said Victor quietly.

"Oh..."

Kevin didn't really want to know what Victor meant.

A few workmen walked up to the red coach.

"Even if you won't accept another coat of paint, we're still going to check you over, just in case anything's loose."

Koby rolled his eyes.

"I'm in perfect shape!" he muttered.

But, ignoring the rude coach, they checked to see if anything was loose outside or inside of Koby.

Soon, the inspection was done.

"Everything's in order." said a workman while nodding, "Time for him to leave."

Kevin and Victor sighed with relief as arrangements were made for an engine to pick him up.

Flora was at Great Waterton with Stanley, dropping off passengers when Winston drove up, carrying the Fat Controller, who was trying to finish his English muffin.

"Winston, stop!" cried the Fat Controller as he swallowed a bite.

"More and more deja vu each day..." grumbled Winston as he came to a halt at the station.

The Fat Controller bit into the muffin and swallowed before walking up to Flora.

"Flora, I need you to go to the Steamworks and pick up the new coach, Koby. Then you're going to visit the Ffarquhar Branch Line for a while."

Flora beamed.

"Wow! The Ffarquhar Branch Line? It's been such a long time!"

Then a thought struck her.

"What about my passengers and my tram coach?"

"Oh, Stanley can handle that himself." said the Fat Controller.

Flora was very happy.

Stanley was happy for Flora.

"Go on Flora." he said as Flora rang her bell with excitement.

"Of course! Cannot be late!" she said as she puffed away.

Stanley then looked to the Fat Controller, trying to eat all of his muffin.

"Um...sir?"

"What?" asked the Fat Controller.

"You know it might be a good idea to not eat and drive at the same time." muttered Stanley.

"I'll write that down, thank you." and the Fat Controller drove away.

Winston silently sighed with relief at Stanley's comment.

Flora puffed into the Steamworks, watching all the workmen work hard on making sure everything was in order.

"Wow, it's so busy here." Flora commented.

"Pfft." snorted Koby, who was now behind her.

"Oh...hello." Flora said kindly.

Koby snorted.

"You won't believe how stupid you look. What are you, a shed on wheels? And you're yellow!"

Flora was appalled.

"That's no way to talk!" she huffed.

Koby just laughed mischievously as Flora was coupled up.

"My tram coach would never do these things." Flora thought sadly, "I suppose I'll have to get used to this..."

Flora arrived at Knapford Station with Koby for the run along Thomas' Branch Line.

At the platform, Passengers walked into him, and this already sparked more complaining.

"Stop bouncing on my seats!" Koby cried, "And stop chewing gum! I can hear that from here!"

Flora sighed as the guard blew his whistle and Flora puffed out of the station.

"What's _that_ thing?" spluttered Koby.

"Oh, that's a truck." said Flora.

"...I thought it was a box."

"Oi!" shouted the truck.

Flora rolled her eyes and puffed over the junction to the branch line.

As Flora puffed along the line, Koby kept bumping into her.

"What was that for?" Flora asked angrily.

"That's for you being ridiculous." Koby smirked.

Flora scowled, but said nothing, until Koby bumped her again.

Passengers spilled their tea and their crumpets.

"Ugh, what a disgrace." a man groaned as his tea spilled onto his shirt.

"Quit it!" Flora cried as Koby laughed.

But on top of the bumping, Koby also insulted her and the railway.

"These trees look terrible! You're causing global warming! You're ugly!" Koby spouted off.

Flora sighed sadly as she puffed into Dryaw.

The passengers walked out of Koby, holding their heads with tea stains on their clothes.

They all glared at Flora and a couple shouted at her.

"Clumsy engine!" they scolded as they complained to the stationmaster.

"This engine made a reckless ride for us! Do something or we'll take action!" a woman declared.

The stationmaster was cross as well and walked out of the station building and sternly to Flora.

"Flora, the Fat Controller will hear of this poor service. I expected better of you." and he walked back into the building.

Flora was very upset indeed.

The passengers from Dryaw got into Koby, but looked around, noticing tea stains.

Flora set off on her way again, hoping to not get in trouble.

The tram engine continued along the line, with Koby still insulting and complaining.

"My wheels are hurting! You're going too fast! Why is this line so disturbingly disgusting? The rails are slippery, my roof's about to cave in, and my red paint's being scratched by rocks flying in my face!"

Flora groaned; she couldn't take much more of this.

Koby bumped into Flora, causing her to yelp.

"Ow! Stop it!" Flora cried.

Koby chuckled and bumped into her again.

"On! On! On!" cried Koby.

"You're not a Troublesome Truck!" Flora said crossly, "Coaches never do that!"

"Then I'm a first." chortled Koby as the train stopped at Elsbridge.

Flora sighed sadly as Toby puffed in with Henrietta and stopped on the other platform.

"Hello Flora. How's Koby doing?" Toby asked.

"He's horrible! He insults me and bumps into me like a truck! And he makes my passengers cross, and they blame me for it!" Flora said, clearly upset.

Toby frowned.

"My, sounds like a bad coach."

"Indeed." snorted Henrietta indignantly, "We coaches have higher standards than that."

Koby was furious.

"What do you know? You're an old timer, and your engine is a box on wheels!" Koby snapped.

Henrietta was horrified.

"The nerve!" Henrietta cried.

Toby was cross too.

"I say Koby, your manners are nonexistent!" he said as he puffed away, ringing his bell.

Koby just laughed as Flora let off steam angrily.

For the rest of the day, Flora was constantly bumped and insulted by Koby.

Flora got crosser and crosser as this went on.

By the time Flora arrived at Ffarquhar, she wanted revenge on the nasty coach.

"I know what to do." she growled to herself.

As Flora puffed into the station, she bumped Koby with a hard clank.

"Ow!" Koby cried.

"Serves you right." huffed Flora, who seemed satisfied.

Suddenly Flora's load seemed a lot easier; she knew what that meant.

"Uh oh..." Flora said sheepishly as she puffed into the station.

Mavis was shunting quarry trucks in the yard when she saw the incident.

"Flora, what happened?" asked Mavis.

"Um.. the coupling snapped." admitted Flora.

The red coach slammed into Flora, and Flora jerked forward.

Koby exploded with anger.

"You stupid engine! Why should you even be in service? You belong in the scrap heap! Your color's despicable! Your voice is annoying! You are the worst engine I've ever had an experience with!" he yelled.

Flora felt badly, but still felt that Koby had done worse.

However, the passengers disagreed.

They were just beyond the station platform, and were very cross.

"You stupid engine!" they scowled.

Flora felt worse still and sighed sadly.

"Today was a terrible day..." sighed Flora as some workmen came out to try and mend the coupling.

That evening, Flora stayed in Ffarquhar Sheds, and told the others of her day.

"And then Koby bumped me, insulted me, Toby, and Henrietta, while also making my passengers angry at me!" Flora cried.

Just then the Fat Controller drove up; he didn't look happy at all.

"Flora, I am not only cross, but I am also disappointed." the Fat Controller said sternly, "You know better than to bump your passengers."

Flora was so flustered she didn't even try and defend yourself; she never got into trouble.

"If you keep this up, I'll have to send you back to Great Waterton and replace you. You know how to handle coaches, so this behavior was shocking. Many passengers are saying this is a bad railway. Good night Flora; let's hope you can improve yourself."

The Fat Controller was about to turn away when Toby spoke up.

"Sir? It wasn't really Flora's fault." Toby said.

The Fat Controller was confused.

"What do you mean? The incident at Ffarquhar sure was."

"I mean, Koby's been nothing but a nuisance to us engines." Toby commented, "He insulted me and Henrietta, but Flora got the worst of it. I know two wrongs don't make a right sir, but at least try and see both sides of the situation. Plus she didn't mean to break the coupling."

The Fat Controller sighed and looked up apologetically at Flora.

"I'm sorry Flora. While I'm not quite happy with the incident at Ffarquhar, I suppose I understand how difficult this is. Maybe Koby just needs a new environment. I'll relocate him to the Main Line tomorrow, and swap him with an actual coach." and the Fat Controller left.

Flora felt relieved.

"Thank you Toby, for standing up for me like that." she said gratefully.

"Oh, that's alright." Toby said kindly.

"What a stupid coach!" huffed Percy, "Moving him to the Main Line won't solve anything!"

"I don't want to know what Gordon will do." murmured Thomas.

The others agreed as they worried of what the outcome of this new coach will be.


	2. The Runaway Koby

Koby was transported to Knapford Sheds by Percy the night after Flora's bad day, and stayed there until morning.

Koby wasn't too happy about this.

"Ugh, stupid railway!" he snorted, "Those engines, I'd scrap them if I could!"

"Oh, quiet you!" snapped the express coaches.

Koby was offended.

"Like you express coaches are any better?" he said, "I'm sophisticated."

All of the coaches at once refused to talk to Koby, since now there were all offended.

"Well, aren't going to say something?" Koby growled, but the coaches just fell asleep.

Koby got crosser and crosser that night.

By morning, he was furious at the railway, and wanted revenge.

The Fat Controller had assigned James to work with Koby as his brake coach for his first passenger train that day.

Needless to say, James was cross with this.

"Hmph! Koby of all coaches! He's the worst coach ever!" James huffed as he rolled over Knapford Junction to get to the platform, where Norman had already shunted the coaches.

Donald was at the station with a goods train, and found humour in the situation.

"Och aye, so ye finally found some faults in coaches? Aboot time too!" he chuckled as James was coupled up to the coaches.

"You don't understand Donald! Koby insulted many engines yesterday!" he protested, "Thomas told me everything last night at Cronk during his mail run."

"Aye, I heard. Good luck." Donald said as he puffed out of the station.

James gulped as the guard blew his whistle.

"Come along, come along." James puffed to the coaches.

"We're coming along, we're coming along." tittered the coaches, all except for Koby, who stayed eerily silent.

James almost thought he had him under control.

"Perhaps he doesn't want to trick a Main Line engine. Understandable." chuckled James to himself, but he was still a little worried.

James puffed into Crosby with his red coaches, surprised that Koby hadn't done anything yet.

"Maybe my red paint got him to shut up." James snickered to himself, but little did the red engine know that Koby was planning.

"I'll do it on the hill..." the coach snickered to himself.

The guard blew his whistle and James puffed out of the station, starting through Crosby Tunnel.

"I better be on the lookout." James sighed, "Just in case."

Suddenly, Koby bumped into the other coaches.

"Aah!" cried James as he exited the tunnel.

The other coaches were cross and glared at their brake coach.

"That's no way to treat us!" they scowled.

Koby just laughed.

James growled.

"I knew this coach was trouble! Better be careful on Gordon's Hill. He might start acting up..."

So James went faster as he raced through Wellsworth and up the hill.

James heaved up the hill, pulling his train of four coaches, including Koby, behind him.

He panted and wheezed as Koby started to strain.

"Hold back! Hold back!" he giggled, just like a Troublesome Truck.

James' wheels slipped, only causing Koby's coupling to grow weaker and weaker, until-

"Woohoo!" Koby yelled as the coupling snapped, "It broke!"

The passengers were surprised as Koby went faster and faster down the hill.

The guard tried to brake but Koby didn't go any slower.

Koby couldn't know that Henry was puffing up the hill, with a goods train.

"Oh no!" Henry cried as he saw Koby rushing towards him.

Koby cried out as he saw the green engine come closer.

"Go backwards you buffoon!" Koby yelled.

"Don't have to tell me twice." shouted Henry as he raced backwards as fast as his wheels would whir, but Koby was catching up fast.

The signalman switched the points for Henry at Wellsworth, letting him to rush into a long siding.

The points were switched back as Koby raced by.

"That was too close." cried Henry.

James rushed by backwards with his train.

"Must catch up to Koby! Must catch up to Koby!" panted James.

"I don't think Koby is worth fighting for..." muttered Henry, but he said it to himself.

Points were switched to prevent a crash, as Gordon was heading into Wellsworth with the Express.

"Watch out!" cried Gordon.

Koby was horrified.

"At least I lived a good life!" he cried just as he swerved onto a siding.

Gordon raced past.

"What the heck is with that thing?!" cried Gordon.

The passengers were afraid, but Koby was slow enough for them to race out of the coach.

"Quick, everyone, move!" cried the guard.

The passengers jumped out, and luckily, they all got out, just in time.

Trucks were on the siding up ahead.

The guard jumped out and alerted the yardmaster of what was going to happen.

"Oh no! Please, I don't want to crash!" shrieked Koby as he shut his eyes.

James raced into the yards just in time to see the crash.

Edward was at the station platform, watching the whole thing.

"Uh oh..." Edward said.

Then, Koby crashed into the trucks, destroying the trucks as Koby laid in ruins on the tracks.

All the people raced to see what had happened.

"Ouch. I think my undercarriage is broken!"

Luckily, nobody was hurt, but Koby's roof had caved in and his sides had broken off.

"Are you all right, Koby?" asked James.

"Yes, thanks(!) All of my windows broke, my roof is destroyed, I only have one wall left, and my axles are broken, but for the most part, I'm okay(!)" said Koby sarcastically.

"That's lucky!" said Edward, "That crash was horrid! You're lucky to be in any pieces at all."

"...ow." Koby grumbled.

Murdoch came with Rocky and the Fat Controller to inspect the damage.

"Sir, what do we do with Koby?" asked Murdoch.

"Yeah, he's two steps away from becoming scrap." agreed Rocky.

The Fat Controller sighed as he brought his hand to his face.

He walked up to Koby, or what was left of him.

"Koby, you've disappointed me greatly. I thought you'd be the perfect coach for Thomas' Branch Line, but you go crazy on Flora. Now you almost destroy yourself on the Main Line? You're just like a truck! As for what I'll do with you, I say you remain there until we figure out what to do." and the Fat Controller walked back into Murdoch's cab.

Koby was too tired to say anything at all.

That night, James puffed into Knapford Station, all tired out.

Thomas was there already with his last run along his branch line.

"How was Koby, James?" Thomas asked cheekily.

James groaned.

"He was the worst! He almost collided with Gordon and Henry and destroyed a number of trucks!"

Thomas and his coaches gasped.

"Bust my buffers; he was that bad?" Thomas asked.

James murmured grimly.

"I think the Fat Controller may make him stay there on that siding. Either that or relocate him." James said.

Thomas was worried.

"He's not going to scrap him, is he?"

"Who knows. I doubt it, since this is the Fat Controller we're talking about, but who really knows? There's a first time for everything." and James puffed away.

A half hour later, James returned to Tidmouth Sheds.

The Fat Controller was already there, in front of the other engines.

"Ah James, glad to see you could hear the announcement." he said.

"Announcement, sir?" asked James worriedly.

"Yes. As all of you know, Koby was a disaster. We won't replace him, because I feel it's not worth the effort anymore. We'll manage. Anyway, what are we going to do with him? Well... I relocated him to a field by Wellsworth, where he'll sit and think. After that, I'm not sure." the Fat Controller said.

The engines looked to each other.

"So you won't have to deal with Koby anymore. Good night, engines." and the Fat Controller walked away solemnly.

An eerie silence fell over the sheds as they each went to sleep, relieved they won't have to deal with Koby anymore but they still felt slightly sorry for him at the same time.


End file.
